Dengue virus found in donated blood
By Nathan Seppa
From Philadelphia, at a meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The virus that causes dengue fever has turned up in a dozen units of blood donated in Puerto Rico. The disturbing finding suggests that authorities might need to screen for the mosquito-borne virus in endemic areas, says epidemiologist Hamish Mohammed of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Blood from donors in Puerto Rico also goes to other Caribbean islands and the United States. Blood donations are not currently screened for dengue virus, Mohammed says.